So, yes, it is yet another story on how COVID-19 is affecting sports and what the future holds for the NFL all the way down to little Jimmy’s baseball games. With the turn of the cold weather, and the noticeable rising cases for COVID-19, there have been many closures of schools and businesses, and more advocacy for mask-wearing. Cases are inching back to what they were and March and so is the world, somewhat.

People are stocking up, staying in and enjoying the one thing they have to watch on TV. The one thing all Americans can picture watching: a sports game with their family. Sports comprise some of the few flashes of normalcy we have in our lives and it is hard to face reality.

That harsh reality is that history repeats itself. When school closed in March, sports followed. Do we hold our breaths and watch sports shut down again too?

Now, as we know it is worth noting that as time has moved along people have taken COVID less and less serious. The NFL still plans to play the Super Bowl. Earlier this month, Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL told ESPN.com, “There is no set capacity figure at this time as we continue to monitor the ongoing pandemic with more than three months to go before the Super Bowl on February 7. There have been 19 teams that have already or have been authorized by public authorities to host regular season games. The average has been around 20 percent with fans seated in pods and everyone wearing face coverings. Among the scenarios we are exploring is a capacity of around that figure but we anticipate it could grow as we get closer to the game.” The Super Bowl is being held in Tampa Bay this year, a city in the state where Governor Ron DeSantis approved for full capacity of stadiums at one point. Despite this, the NFL overrules Governor DeSantis and sets their limits on capacity, which has changed city by city and week by week. It is tough for the NFL and any other business at this point to know that a plan set in stone is following through.

For all levels of sports below professional sports, there is a lot of grey area. For a sport in Texas, teams are still going on, but with Governor Murphy of New Jersey, he is expected to force lockdowns. On November 9, Murphy tweeted, “…ALL interstate games and tournaments for indoor youth sports – up to and including high school – are prohibited.It is simply not safe for teams to be crossing state lines at this time to participate in indoor competitions.” In fact, Murphy also just recently enforced a closure of all indoor sports from December 5 to January 2. If teams and sports are able to follow rules, then just maybe spring sports can be played with some peace.

The return of what our lives were like in March is unfortunately underway and the second wave of COVID is crashing down on all of us and there is nothing we can do but stay inside — stay inside and do something we did differently in March. In March, all you did was binge-watch shows, but for sport junkies like myself, I can now watch college basketball and football. The wave is crashing down on us, but at least I know I can turn on the Eagles game and get frustrated with Carson Wentz. There is nothing I and millions of others enjoy more. Sports ground us into a sense of normalcy in our lives, and provide an aspect of life that is far beyond sports; togetherness. So, as empty as the glass gets, I will hope to look at it as more full than empty. Despite our lives falling away from normalcy, sports help me and hopefully others fill our glasses a little bit more.